Questions to ask nursery and cm? Not sure where to begin!

[PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling]

The end of maternity leave is looming, and I need to work out what is the best plan for childcare/work in a few months time. I work for myself so I don't have a fixed date to go back, which is great, but also have no real idea of how much work I'm likely to get/need/want, which makes it a bit harder to plan.

Am about to start phoning nurseries and cms to see what availability/flexibility they can offer. What other key questions should I be asking?

Feeling rather nervous about this decision!

Oh, and it's for twins!

(don't tell me i've left it too late, as their arrival was rather unscheduled, so all maternity leave plans have been thrown up in air!)

I think you'll need to decide definite hours and days you need before you phone as flexibility is hard to come by with childcare tbh

What I did was book regular childcare for Tues & Wed but made sure it was with a nursery or CM who is not fully booked and able to flexible about offering additional sessions. I found that Tues & Wed tended to be the busiest days for childcarers, and also gave me a solid base to start from each week in terms of offering meetings to clients etc.

Good luck!

Thanks. Gumby I take your point on board but until I know what I'm dealing with I can't really know what my likely best options are. So just trying to figure out how to get a realistic picture of actual costs/cover - I assume things like bank holidays and sickness policies are key?

And then I have to try and second guess which clients are likely to offer me work this year, and how much. My head hurts!

Given how flexible you can be, your best bet might be to find a CM or nursery you really like and then fit in with them. You could have the unpopular days at a nursery (Monday and Friday). Costs vary wildly depending on where you are. I'm in Oxford where average nursery costs are £50 a day. I also charge £50 a day.

Are you a cm octavia? £50 per child?

Yes, I'm a CM. £50 is for a full day (8-6, though at the moment am doing 7.30- 6.30 for the same price) and includes all food though not nappies or formula, creams etc. I only take one under-5, so it's a very individual service! You may find that a nanny for a couple of days a week works out more cost-effectively for you.

Anyone else?

£47.50 per child per day all inclusive and I would need definite days booked with contract signed and deposit paid. No spaces at the moment.

Berkshire

Hope that helps with your plans.

Questions:
what is included on the price?
what about sickness and holidays (yours and theirs)?
and anything else you want to know ...